Plant-based electrolyte compositions

ABSTRACT

This invention relates, inter alia, to various plant-based electrolyte compositions, methods of preparing them and methods of using them. One embodiment concerns a plant-based electrolyte composition comprising a plant-derived electrolyte content high in potassium relative to sodium, and a plant-derived carbohydrate content less than about 6% weight/volume. Another embodiment concerns a method for re-hydrating an individual or preventing dehydration or over-hydration of an individual or for preventing or treating potassium deficiency in an individual, by administering to the individual a plant-based electrolyte composition. The electrolyte compositions can be prepared from sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice, sweet sorghum juice, palm syrup, maple sap, vegetable juice or fruit juice.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates, inter alia, to plant-based electrolytecompositions and to methods of preparing them. In one embodiment theinvention concerns natural electrolyte compositions prepared fromsugarcane that have an electrolyte content high in potassium relative tosodium and a low carbohydrate content in comparison with mostcommercially available plant juice drink products.

BACKGROUND ART

Drink products are consumed to replace fluids and minerals(salts/electrolytes) lost in sweating and excretion. Plain or naturalwater has a low mineral content and therefore does not adequatelyreplace such minerals. It is also limited in its thirst quenchingability and therefore can provide lower effectiveness in satiating waterintake compared to other drink products.

Electrolyte drink products are consumed to replace salts(minerals/electrolytes) lost due to sweating or gastrointestinaldiarrhoea. The salts are essential for muscle and nerve functioning.Commercially available electrolyte drink products are conventionallyformulated using mainly sodium salts with glucose and other ingredientsmimicking the content of sweat and plasma as well as providing nutrientsthought to be of assistance in recovery from exercise. These ‘chemicalmixtures’ are mainly sodium salt based but for most of the populationsodium salt intake already greatly exceeds dietary recommendations.Excessive sodium intake due to its use in cooking and processed foods isa noted and widespread cause of raised blood pressure and dietaryrecommendations are to reduce levels.

Commercially available energy drink products are formulated to provide aboost of carbohydrate energy to the working muscles which may be aidedby the addition of caffeine or other stimulants. Consumption of thehigher levels of sugars while re-hydrating can result in net energyintake above that lost in exercise.

Commercially available juice drink products are sold as a natural fluidreplacement. Most juices are naturally low in sodium and high inpotassium salts but normally contain 6-12% weight/volume carbohydratesand are hyper-osmotic compared to human blood plasma. The use of juicesin re-hydrating can result in high energy intake and a contribution toweight gain due to their natural sugar content. Fruit juices also havean acidic nature with a low pH due to organic acids that is counterbalanced in taste by the sugar. Acid fruit juices can exacerbategastrointestinal conditions causing stomach upset or irritation to themouth and throat. The acidic nature can also contribute to erosion ofthe tooth enamel.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide plant-based(naturally-based) electrolyte compositions for consumption that have alow, or substantially no, carbohydrate/sugar content and an electrolytecontent rich in potassium relative to sodium, as well as methods forpreparing them. Another object of the present invention is to providethe public with a useful or commercial choice.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided aplant-based electrolyte composition comprising:

a plant-derived electrolyte content high in potassium relative tosodium; and a plant-derived carbohydrate content less than about 6%weight/volume.

Preferably the carbohydrate content of the electrolyte composition isless than about 6% weight/volume (w/v), 5% w/v, 4% w/v or 3% w/v andeven more preferably about 0-2% w/v (although other percentages areenvisaged), such that the content is significantly less than that ofcommercially available juice drink products. However, the carbohydratecontent will depend on the type of plant or plants from which theplant-based electrolyte composition is prepared and its method ofpreparation.

Preferably the electrolyte composition comprises about 0.050% to 0.200%w/v potassium, more preferably about 0.060% to 0.130% w/v potassium, andeven more preferably about 0.064% to 0.109% w/v potassium (althoughother percentage ranges are envisaged), such that the electrolyte is ofsufficient quantity for the intended use and is of higher content thatsome commercially available electrolyte drink products. However, thepotassium content will depend on the type of plant or plants from whichthe plant-based electrolyte composition is prepared and its method ofpreparation.

Preferably the electrolyte composition comprises low level sodium ofabout 0.000% to 0.050% w/v sodium, more preferably about 0.001% to0.030% w/v sodium, and even, more preferably about 0.007% to 0.030% w/vsodium (although other percentage ranges are envisaged), so as tominimise or avoid the problems caused by commercially available highsodium products. However, the sodium content will depend on the type ofplant or plants from which the plant-based electrolyte composition isprepared and its method of preparation.

The electrolyte composition can comprise low molecular weight phenolicantioxidants of about 0.000% to 0.200% w/v, more preferably about 0.002%to 0.133% w/v, and even more preferably about 0.006% to 0.062% w/v(although other percentage ranges are envisaged). This may be useful forsome forms of drink products. However, the phenolic antioxidants contentwill depend on the type of plant or plants from which the plant-basedelectrolyte composition is prepared and its method of preparation.

The electrolyte composition can comprise a low organic acid content soas to avoid an acidic taste that otherwise may need to be masked bysugar or other specific additive. The electrolyte composition preferablycomprises a low organic acid content of about 0.01% to 1.60% w/v, morepreferably about 0.05% to 0.50% w/v, and even more preferably about0.11% to 0.21% w/v (although other percentage ranges are envisaged).However, the organic acid content will depend on the type of plant orplants from which the plant-based electrolyte composition is preparedand its method of preparation.

A typical sugarcane-based electrolyte composition can comprise, forexample, about K⁺—0.064 to 0.109% w/v, Na⁺—0.002 to 0.030% w/v,Mg²+—0.002 to 0.010% w/v and 0.5 to 2.0% w/v carbohydrates (mainlymonosaccharides glucose and fructose).

A typical apple juice-based electrolyte composition can comprise, forexample, about K⁺—0.05 to 0.100% w/v, Na⁺—0.002 to 0.020% w/v,Mg²⁺—0.002 to 0.010% w/v and 0.5 to 5.0% w/v carbohydrates (mainlymonosaccharides glucose and fructose).

The plant-based electrolyte composition can be prepared from asubstantially liquid extract of any suitable type of plant or plants.The term “substantially liquid extract of a plant” is to be understoodherein as referring to a liquid, a substantially liquid, a substantiallyliquefied and/or a liquefied extract of a plant that may either containor not contain suspended particulate matter. The term is meant toencompass, but not be limited to, plant-derived waters, saps, juices,syrups and other types of viscous and non-viscous liquids and liquefiedplant parts.

The substantially liquid extract can be, for example, sugarcane juice,sugar beet juice, sweet sorghum juice, palm syrup, maple sap, vegetablejuices such as carrot juice, and fruit juices such as apple and orangejuice. Preferably the plant is of the type normally used in themanufacture of sugar, eg. sugarcane and sugar beet, and more preferablysugarcane.

The electrolyte composition can be processed to any suitable final form.It can be in a liquid (free-flowing or viscous), gelatinous or solidform. The composition can be formulated, for example, as a drinkproduct/beverage, concentrate, additive for other drink products, gel,powder, effervescent powder, granule, capsule or tablet.

In the case of dried or concentrated products made from the electrolytethe percentage composition will vary proportionally to the waterremoved.

In preferred embodiments, the composition is formulated as are-hydrating drink product or osmotic or hypo-osmotic electrolytereplacement drink product (for athletes, for example) or a dietarysource of potassium.

It is possible that the drink product could be in the form of analcoholic beverage, mineral water, soda water, carbonated water, tonicwater or syrup, for example. The electrolyte composition could be mixedwith alcohol or different types of waters, including distilled andde-ionised water.

Depending on the form of the composition, the composition can furthercomprise at least one or more of the following types of ingredients: anactive (including biologically active) agent, nutrient, dietarysupplement, stimulant, sweetening agent, flavouring agent, colouringagent, binding agent, emulsifier, buffering agent, disintegrating agent,absorption enhancer, lubricant, glidant, flow regulating agent,viscosity modifying agent, diluent and preservative.

For example, the composition can comprise at least one or more of thefollowing types of ingredients: an amino acid, vitamin, mineral,additional electrolyte, protein (eg. calcium caseinate, whey protein,whey protein isolate, soy protein, casein hydrolyzate, meat protein,yeast concentrate), caffeine or other stimulant and dietary fibre.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda plant-based electrolyte composition according to the first aspect inthe form of a concentrate.

The electrolyte composition can be concentrated about 5 to 40 times(preferably about 20 times), for example, depending on the sugar contentto make a liquid concentrate suitable for storage and shipment. Theconcentrate can preferably be readily reconstituted intoready-to-consume drink products to be osmotic or hypo-osmotic orhyper-osmotic as desired by the application.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided adrink product prepared from a plant-based electrolyte compositionaccording to the first aspect or a concentrate according to the secondaspect.

The drink product can be, for instance, for re-hydrating an individual,for preventing dehydration or over-hydration of an individual. The drinkproduct can be an electrolyte replacement drink product or a dietarysource of potassium.

Gatorade™ is an example of a commercially available drink product thatathletes drink to restore electrolytes in the body after participatingin sports and to avoid dehydration (although that drink product isunlike the present invention in that it is comparatively rich in sodiumand not naturally based).

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provideda method for re-hydrating an individual or preventing dehydration orover-hydration of an individual or for preventing or treating potassiumdeficiency in .an individual, said method comprising administering tothe individual a composition according to the first aspect, aconcentrate according to the second aspect or a drink product accordingto the aspect of the invention.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is providedthe use of a composition according to the first aspect, a concentrateaccording to the second aspect or a drink product according to the thirdaspect of the invention in the preparation of a medicament forre-hydrating an individual, for preventing dehydration or over-hydrationof an individual, or for preventing or treating potassium deficiency inan individual.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of preparing a plant-based electrolyte composition, wherein themethod comprises the step of processing a substantially liquid extractof a plant to produce a plant-based electrolyte composition according tothe first aspect of the invention.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provideda method of preparing a plant-based electrolyte composition in the formof a concentrate, wherein the method comprises the step of processing aplant-based electrolyte composition prepared according to the sixthaspect of the present invention to produce the concentrate according tothe second aspect of the invention.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention there is provideda method of preparing a drink product from a plant-based electrolytecomposition or a concentrate thereof, wherein the method comprises thestep of mixing the plant-based electrolyte composition preparedaccording to the sixth aspect or the concentrate prepared according tothe seventh aspect of the invention with at least one other ingredientto produce the drink product.

Any suitable type or types of processing steps can be used. For example,liming, clarification, filtration and evaporation steps can be used.Further steps such as initial plant-crushing, affination,decolourisation, crystallisation and recovery can be used, if required.

Preferably membrane separation technology is used to filter out andreduce the carbohydrate content yet retain most of theminerals/salts/electrolytes, through selection of membranes withdifferent pore sizes. Preferably the membrane process is operated toreduce the initial carbohydrate content to about 0-6% w/v but optimally0-2% w/v, yet yielding greater than about 60% w/v concentration and morepreferably greater than about 80% w/v potassium concentration in theelectrolyte composition.

Microfiltration or ultrafiltration can be used, for example, to clarifythe substantially liquid extract.

Nanofiltration (polymeric, ceramic and metallic membranes) can be used,for example, to separate at least some of the carbohydrate content fromthe electrolyte content.

Nanofiltration (polymeric, ceramic and metallic membranes) can be used,for example, to separate at least some of the organic acid content fromthe electrolyte content.

Evaporation and/or filtration step (eg. reverse osmosis) can be used,for example, to prepare the concentrate.

If using sugarcane juice, the juice can be briefly heat treated at 80°C. to control microbial and enzymatic activity followed by coarsefiltration, prior to lowering the carbohydrate content. Alternatively,lime clarified juice can be used.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided amethod of preparing a sugarcane-based electrolyte composition, whereinsteps of the method comprise:

-   -   1. using a step of microfiltration or ultrafiltration to clarify        fresh or clarified sugarcane juice; and    -   2. using a step of nanofiltration to reduce the clarified        juice's carbohydrate content to produce a sugarcane-based        electrolyte composition comprising an electrolyte content high        in potassium relative to sodium and a carbohydrate content less        than about 6% weight/volume; and optionally    -   3. using a step of evaporation or reverse osmosis filtration to        prepare a concentrate of the electrolyte composition of step 2.

According to a tenth (more general) aspect of the present inventionthere is provided a plant-based electrolyte composition, wherein stepsof the method comprise:

-   -   1. using a step of microfiltration or ultrafiltration to clarify        a substantially liquid extract of a plant; and    -   2. using a step of nanofiltration to reduce the clarified        substantially liquid extract's carbohydrate content to produce a        plant-based electrolyte composition comprising an electrolyte        content high in potassium relative to sodium and a carbohydrate        content less than about 6% weight/volume; and optionally    -   3. using a step of evaporation or reverse osmosis filtration to        prepare a concentrate of the electrolyte composition of step 2.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention there isprovided a method for making a drink product from a substantially liquidextract of a plant using membrane filtration technology, wherein thedrink product simulates plant sap, said method comprising the steps of:

-   -   1. clarifying the substantially liquid extract of the plant;    -   2. using membranes selected to have pore sizes suitable to        remove some of, but preferably all or most of, the sugar and        some of the organic acids of the substantially liquid extract        but leaving most of the monovalent ions including potassium in        the substantially liquid extract; and    -   3. optionally, concentrating the substantially liquid extract by        reverse osmosis membranes and/or evaporation to make a        substantially liquid extract concentrate.

According to an twelfth aspect of the present invention there isprovided a plant juice-derived drink product that simulates plant sap inits mineral, sugar and antioxidant content.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention there isprovided a plant-based electrolyte composition prepared from asubstantially liquid extract of a plant by membrane separationtechnology, said plant-based electrolyte composition comprising:

-   -   1. a plant-derived electrolyte content high in potassium        relative to sodium; and    -   2. a plant-derived carbohydrate content less than about 6%        weight/volume, and preferably 0-2% weight/volume plant-derived        carbohydrate,

wherein the plant-based electrolyte composition comprises greater thanabout 80% weight/volume potassium of an original potassium concentrationof the substantially liquid extract of the plant, but more preferablygreater than about 95% weight/volume of the original potassiumconcentration of the substantially liquid extract of the plant.

The inventors have found that during the concentration of sugar fromjuice by membrane technology, a product stream can be generated that issimilar to plant sap, being the liquid form that plants store andtransport liquid and nutrients through the plant from roots to leaves.The inventors have found that the production process can be controlledto recover most of the mineral/electrolyte/salt and importantly most ofthe potassium content but with only a low percentage of the sugar fromthe juice.

The inventors have also found that the electrolyte composition orconcentrated form thereof can be a good base for a re-hydration orelectrolyte replacement drink. It can have low acidity with a clean andslightly salty taste, without sweetness. When consumed it can have agood thirst quenching sensation being able to better the control thesensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a need forliquids. This in combination with the high potassium to sodium mineralsalts ratio and isotonic or lower concentration makes it effective inre-hydration and preventing over-hydration. Over-hydration occurs whenthe normal balance of electrolytes is pushed outside limits byover-consumption of water. Over-hydration can occur, for example, whenathletes rapidly drink excessive amounts of water or substantiallyhypo-osmotic electrolyte sports drinks to avoid dehydration. The resultis too much water and not enough salts and

The electrolyte composition can be made by using membranes to achieve aphysical separation of carbohydrates (sugars) to leave small ionelectrolytes such as potassium, and other minor cell constituentssimilar to the content of plant sap. The amount of natural sugarincluding glucose and fructose going into the electrolyte compositioncan be varied between about 0 and 6% w/v (preferably 2% w/v) throughselection of membranes with different pore sizes. The resultingelectrolyte composition can be concentrated about 5-40 times dependingon the sugar content to make a clear liquid concentrate suitable forstorage and shipment. The concentrate can be reconstituted intoready-to-drink products.

The drink product can be a natural isotonic re-hydration drink productlow in carbohydrate and high in potassium. It is an alternative to water(which has no electrolytes), juice (which is high in sugar) andformulated electrolyte drinks (produced by the mixing of chemicals). Tothe inventors' knowledge there is no publicly available priorinformation for making a plant sap like product from juices by removalof sugar and acids using membranes or to using such a product as a drinkor high potassium electrolyte replacement product.

The mechanisms controlling thirst have been extensively researched aswell as some of the thirst quenching properties of water and otherdrinks. While the thirst quenching effect is currently a subjective andunexpected observation the effect can be scientifically measured.However there appears to be no reference in literature that looks at thethirst quenching properties of sugar and acid depleted juices or plantsaps. There appears to be no prior literature showing the superiorthirst quenching properties of such a product although low sugar, lowacid products are known to generate this effect but not fruit juices. Nodiscussion of the potential mechanism of thirst quenching in relation tohigh potassium electrolyte content have been found. Likewise no studiesin prevention of over-hydration using natural electrolyte products havebeen found although the mechanism is well understood. Treatment consistsof supplying salts and/or diuretics to bring the plasma electrolytesinto the required range for normal cell functioning. The naturalelectrolyte composition could prevent the problem from occurring.

The impact of high sodium and the need to reduce the level for healthparticularly blood pressure reduction is extensively published. Nocommercial drink products other than juice and fresh foods have beenfound that are made to promote low sodium, high potassium intake.

It is to be appreciated that the first to twelfth aspects of theinvention can have one or more features as described anywhere in thesection entitled “Disclosure of the Invention” (provided that thefeatures are not incompatible with one another) or as described in the“Preferred Embodiments of the Invention” section.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put intopractice, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described withreference to the figure, by way of example only.

FIG. 1 is a schematic showing preparation of a sugarcane-basedelectrolyte composition and its concentrate using sugarcane juice asstarting material.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Although the preparation of electrolyte compositions and theirconcentrates from sugarcane juice and apple juice will be exemplifiedbelow, other plant sources used for the manufacture of sugar can beused, such as sugar beet, sweet sorghum, palm syrup, maple sap,vegetable juices such as carrot juice and fruit juices such as orange(but excluding coconut water or coconut juice).

However, as explained above, the actual electrolyte, sugar/carbohydrate,flavonoid/phenolic antioxidant and organic acid content of eachelectrolyte composition will ultimately depend on the type of plant orplants from which the plant-based electrolyte composition is prepared aswell as its method of preparation.

Example 1 Preparation of a Sugarcane-Based Electrolyte Composition andits Concentrate

This example describes the preparation of a sugarcane-based electrolytecomposition and its concentrate using sugarcane juice as startingmaterial. A schematic of the process is shown in FIG. 1.

Table 1 below shows the typical composition of sugarcane juice based onsolids (Watford S (1996) Composition of cane juice. Proceedings of theSouth African Sugar Technologists' Association 70, 265-266.)

TABLE 1 Fraction Component Content (% w/w) Sugars Sucrose 81-87 Reducingsugars 3-6 Oligosaccharides 0.06-0.6  Polysaccharides 0.2-0.8 (includinggums and dextrans) Salts Inorganic salts: 1.5-3.7 Potassium (K₂O)0.77-1.31 Sodium (Na₂O) 0.01-0.04 Magnesium (MgO) 0.10-0.39 Organicnon-sugars Organic acids 0.7-1.3 Amino acids 0.5-2.5 Dextrans 0.1-0.6Starch 0.11-0.5  Gums 0.02-0.05 Waxes, fats, phospholipids 0.05-0.15Colourants 0.1 Insolubles Sand, bagasse, etc. 0.15-1.0 

Pre-filtered sugarcane juice from a mill (essentially as described intable 1) was microfiltered using a 0.1 μm pore size membrane to removeany fine particulate material.

200 L of microfiltered juice was then sent through a nanofiltration (NF)membrane of specific pore size to produce an electrolyte compositionfraction comprising a high electrolyte content relative to acarbohydrate content, wherein the electrolyte content is high inpotassium relative to sodium. Most of the carbohydrate/sugar content andlarge molecules were separated as a retentate fraction from the permeatefraction (ie. permeate fraction=electrolyte composition).

Approximately 30% (61.9 L) of the 200 L microfiltered juice feed wasseparated and collected as single strength electrolyte, ie. theelectrolyte composition, but could be optimised to collect more in thepermeate fraction. If desired, the retentate can be returned to therefinery to purify the sugar.

The electrolyte composition (single strength electrolyte) wasconcentrated to 3.2 L with almost 20 times concentration using a reverseosmosis (RO) membrane.

A typical non-concentrated electrolyte composition is: K⁺—0.064 to0.109% w/v, Na⁺—0.002 to 0.030% w/v, Mg²⁺—0.002 to 0.010% w/v and 0.5 to2.0% w/v carbohydrate/sugars (mainly monosaccharides). This compositionalso contains some low molecular weight phenolic antioxidants and can beconcentrated to yield a stable clear syrup of yellowish colour. Thecomposition is largely devoid of organic acids.

A nutritional panel of the concentrate and the equivalent dilutedproduct is given in table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Nutrition information Quantity per 100 mL electrolytecomposition Quantity per 100 mL concentrate electrolyte compositionEnergy 516 kJ (123 Cal) 26.85 kJ (6.40 Cal) Protein Less than 1 g Lessthan 0.05 g Fat - total Less than 1 g Less than 0.05 g Carbohydrate,total 29.8 g 1.55 g - sugars 29.8 g 1.55 g Potassium 1613 mg 83.94 mg41.3 (mmol) 2.15 (mmol) Sodium 172 mg 8.95 mg 7.5 (mmol) 0.39 (mmol)Magnesium 64 mg 3.33 mg 2.7 (mmol) 0.14 (mmol)

Two possible re-hydration drink products, prepared by mixing thenon-concentrated electrolyte composition with different ingredients, aredescribed in tables 3 and 4 below.

TABLE 3 First re-hydration drink product Ingredient AmountNon-concentrated 999 mL electrolyte composition (containing 2% w/vsugar) Vitamin C 200 mg (preservative and vitamin) Orange oil 200 mg(flavouring agent) Natural colour (E163) 200 mg

TABLE 4 Second re-hydration-drink product Ingredient AmountNon-concentrated 900 mL electrolyte composition (containing 2% w/vsugar) Vitamin C 200 mg (preservative and vitamin) Natural fruit juice100 mL (flavouring and colouring agent)

Example 2 Preparation of a Sugarcane-Based Electrolyte Concentrate

This example describes the preparation of a sugarcane-based electrolyteconcentrate using clarified sugarcane juice as starting material.

Sugarcane electrolyte concentrate was produced from clarified sugarcanejuice filtered through 100 micron stainless steel strainer from a sugarmill. The clarified juice of about 10.9% w/w total sugars was used in atwo-step membrane process to produce sugarcane electrolyte concentrate(sugarcane plant sap concentrate).

A first step of the filtration was conducted using a nanofiltration (NF)membrane at an operating pressure of 35 bar and 40° C. temperature.About 375 kg of the juice was taken into a jacketed stainless steel tankand heated up to 40° C. The juice from the tank was pumped into a highpressure membrane filtration unit feed tank which is of about 20 kgcapacity. The feed was frequently topped-up with fresh juice as thefiltration continued while a portion of the retentate (concentratedfeed) fraction was withdrawn from the feed tank at regular intervals asit reached the Brix value of about 25.

The NF permeate fraction which was very low in sugar (<1.5% w/w) andmineral (monovalent salts) content almost equal to that of feed wascontinuously separated. At the end of the trial about 55% of the totalfeed was separated as low sugar permeate fraction and up to 45% sugarrich fraction as NF retentate.

The NF permeate fraction low in sugar and mineral content similar tothat of clarified juice is considered as a single strength naturalelectrolyte. The single strength, electrolyte (SSE) was heated to around40° C. in a jacketed stainless steel tank and pumped into a membraneunit fitted with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane at stage 2 filtration.The SSE was concentrated up to twenty-fold at operating pressure of 35bar and 40° C. temperature. Permeate obtained from stage 2 was onlywater with zero Brix value. The feed tank was continuously topped-upwith fresh SSE as the filtration continued. The process was carried outuntil the concentration of electrolyte raised to about twenty times ofthat of the SSE.

Table 5 below shows a typical composition of the sugarcane electrolyteconcentrate.

TABLE 5 Total Titratable Fraction Total Phenolics Acidity weight SugarsPotassium Sodium Magnesium as mg as mg kg % w/w mg/100 g mg/100 g mg/100g GAE/100 mL AAE/100 mL Clarified 372.4 10.9 74.6 <5 12 60.8 88sugarcane juice NF 164.8 23.1 98.1 <5 24 155.5 351 retentate NF 207.60.6 60.6 <5 <5 5.0 38 permeate (SSE) Sugarcane 10.9 11.7 800.0 22 58.9153.4 234 electrolyte concentrate GAE = Gallic Acid Equivalents; AAE =Aconitic Acid Equivalents

Example 3 Preparation of an Apple Juice-Based Electrolyte Concentrate

This example describes the preparation of an apple juice-basedelectrolyte concentrate using apple juice concentrate as startingmaterial.

A commercial apple juice concentrate of about 70 Brix was diluted withseven times RO water to obtain a single strength apple juice. Thissingle strength juice with about 7.9% total sugars by weight was used asfeed for apple electrolyte production.

A two-step membrane filtration process similar to the one described inExample 2 was used to produce apple electrolyte concentrate.

In step 1 apple juice feed was heated to 40° C. and filtered using ananofiltration membrane. The NF permeate, unlike sugarcane juicepermeate, was found to have around 4% total sugars. This is because thesugars present in the apple juice are mainly monosaccharides such asfructose and glucose (instead of sucrose as in sugarcane juice) andeasily permeate through the NF membrane. In this case permeate andretentate were split in the ratio of 70:30.

The NF permeate with relatively higher sugar concentration compared tosugarcane juice permeate and mineral concentration equal to that ofapple juice feed was fed into step 2 membrane filtration. A reverseosmosis membrane was used in step 2 to concentrate single strengthelectrolyte obtained from step 1. In this case concentration of theelectrolyte was increased only by about 3.5 fold as the feed sugarconcentration was already around 4.

Table 6 below shows a typical composition of the apple juice electrolyteconcentrate.

TABLE 6 Total Titratable Fraction Total Phenolics Acidity weight SugarsPotassium Sodium Magnesium as mg as mg kg % w/w mg/100 g mg/100 g mg/100g GAE/100 mL MAE/100 mL Apple juice 403.0 7.9 84.5 <5 <5 11.9 148 feedNF retentate 106.2 16.9 116.0 <5 7 46.1 293 NF permeate 296.8 4.1 73.5<5 <5 5.4 153 (SSE apple) Apple 83.9 14.5 287.0 <5 <5 32.8 759electrolyte concentrate GAE = Gallic Acid Equivalents MAE = Malic AcidEquivalents

Clarified sugarcane juice of Example 2 shows that the NF permeate (SSE)had 38 mg per 100 ml AAE titratable acidity compared with the originaljuice feed at 88 mg per 100 ml showing that the total acidity waslowered by more than half. However, for apple juice the NF permeate was153 mg MAE per 100 ml compared with 148 mg per 100 ml in the juice feed.The total acidity was not lowered.

The reason for this is that sugarcane juice contains primarily aconiticacid molecular weight (MW) 174 which is a tricarboxylic acid and anisomer in the formation of citric acid. Apple juice contains primarilymalic acid MW 134 which is a dicarboxylic acid. The greater molecularsize of aconitic acid results in a higher rejection by the NF membrane.The lowering of total acidity should thus only apply to cane juice orgrape (tartaric) or orange (citric) juice, not apple juice.

The NF permeate (SSE) for sugarcane juice had 0.6% total sugars for ajuice feed stream of 10.6%. In contrast the NF permeate for apple juice(SSE) had 4.1% total sugars for a juice feed stream of 7.9%. The reasonfor this is that apple juice is composed mainly glucose and fructose (MW180) whereas the sugarcane juice is primarily sucrose (MW 360). Theresidual sugars are therefore less in the cane juice.

In summary, some of the advantages of an electrolyte composition asexemplified include:

-   -   It simulates plant sap having a low sugar content with the        minerals and antioxidants reflective of the natural content of        the fluid in living cells.    -   It has a pleasant naturally slight salty taste with an absence        of strong or off-flavours making it suitable to be consumed        straight or formulated with flavours and other functional        ingredients.    -   It provides a natural low calorie source of potassium which is        an under consumed nutrient in the diet thereby enabling        re-hydration and nutrition with low sugar intake compared to        drinking juices.    -   It has a high potassium to low sodium ratio that is derived from        the natural content of mineral in the cells and is therefore of        benefit to limiting sodium intake in the diet where high dietary        sodium has been linked to causing raised blood . pressure.    -   It can be processed by physical separation without addition of        chemicals to give a low acid content, low sugar and slightly        salty taste that has a faster satiation effect for fluid        consumption.    -   It has properties of thirst quenching and high potassium mineral        balance that counter over-hydration which can be an issue with        excessive intake of water.

The foregoing embodiments are illustrative only of the principles of theinvention, and various modifications and changes will readily occur tothose skilled in the art. The invention is capable of being practicedand carried out in various ways and in other embodiments. It is also tobe understood that the terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

The term “comprise” and variants of the term such as “comprises” or“comprising” are used herein to denote the inclusion of a stated integeror stated integers but not to exclude any other integer or any otherintegers, unless in the context or usage an exclusive interpretation ofthe term is required.

Any reference to prior art information in this specification is not anadmission that the information constitutes common general knowledge inAustralia or elsewhere.

1. A consumable plant-based electrolyte composition comprising: aplant-derived electrolyte content comprising about 0.050% to0.200%_weight/volume potassium and about 0.000% to 0.050% weight/volumesodium; and a plant-derived carbohydrate content less than about 6%weight/volume,_wherein the electrolyte composition is prepared from atleast one of the group consisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice,sweet sorghum juice, palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice.
 2. Theconsumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1, wherein thecarbohydrate content of the electrolyte composition is about 0-2% w/v.3. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1,wherein the electrolyte composition comprises about 0.064% to 0.109% w/vpotassium.
 4. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition ofclaim 1, wherein the electrolyte composition comprises about 0.002% to0.030% w/v sodium.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The consumable plant-basedelectrolyte composition of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte compositioncomprises about 0.000% to 0.200% w/v low molecular weight phenolicantioxidants.
 7. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition ofclaim 1, wherein the electrolyte composition comprises about 0.006% to0.062% w/v low molecular weight phenolic antioxidants.
 8. (canceled) 9.The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1, whereinthe electrolyte composition comprises about 0.01% to 1.60% w/v organicacid.
 10. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1,wherein the electrolyte composition comprises about 0.11% to 0.21% w/vorganic acid.
 11. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition ofclaim 1, wherein the electrolyte composition is prepared from sugarcanejuice.
 12. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim1, wherein the electrolyte composition is prepared from fruit juice. 13.The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1, whereinthe electrolyte composition is prepared from sugar beet juice.
 14. Theconsumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 12, wherein theelectrolyte composition is prepared from apple juice.
 15. The consumableplant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1, wherein the electrolytecomposition comprises about K⁺—0.064 to 0.109% w/v, Na⁺—0.002 to 0.030%w/v, Mg²+—0.02 to 0.10% w/v and about 0.5-2.0% w/v carbohydrates. 16.The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition of claim 1, whereinthe electrolyte composition comprises about K⁺—0.05 to 0.100% w/v,Na⁺—0.002 to 0.010% w/v, Mg²⁺—0.002 to 0.010% w/v and 0.5 to 6.0% w/vcarbohydrates.
 17. The consumable plant-based electrolyte composition ofclaim 1, wherein said consumable plant-based electrolyte composition isin the form of a concentrate.
 18. The consumable plant-based electrolytecomposition of claim 1, wherein said consumable plant-based electrolytecomposition is in the form of a drink product.
 19. A method forre-hydrating an individual or preventing dehydration or over-hydrationof an individual or for preventing or treating potassium deficiency inan individual, said method comprising administering to the individual adrink product according to claim
 18. 20. (canceled)
 21. A method ofpreparing a plant-based electrolyte composition, wherein the methodcomprises the step of processing a substantially liquid extract of atleast one type of plant to produce a plant-based electrolyte compositionaccording to claim
 1. 22. A method of preparing a plant-basedelectrolyte composition in the form of a concentrate, wherein the methodcomprises the step of concentrating a plant-based electrolytecomposition prepared according to claim
 21. 23. A method of preparing adrink product from a plant-based electrolyte composition, wherein themethod comprises the step of mixing the plant-based electrolytecomposition prepared according to claim 21 with at least one otheringredient to produce the drink product.
 24. A method of preparing aconsumable plant-based electrolyte composition, wherein steps of themethod comprise:
 1. using a step of microfiltration or ultrafiltrationto clarify a substantially liquid extract of a plant; and
 2. using astep of nanofiltration to reduce the clarified substantially liquidextract's carbohydrate content to produce a plant-based electrolytecomposition comprising an electrolyte content of about 0.050% to 0.200%weight/volume potassium, about 0.000% to 0.050% weight/volume sodium anda carbohydrate content less than about 6% weight/volume, wherein theelectrolyte composition is prepared from at least one of the groupconsisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice, sweet sorghum juice,palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice; and optionally
 3. using astep of evaporation or reverse osmosis filtration to prepare aconcentrate of the electrolyte composition of step
 2. 25. A method ofpreparing a consumable sugarcane-based electrolyte composition, whereinsteps of the method comprise:
 1. using a step of microfiltration orultrafiltration to clarify fresh or clarified sugarcane juice; and 2.using a step of nanofiltration to reduce the clarified juice'scarbohydrate content to produce a sugarcane-based electrolytecomposition comprising an electrolyte content of about 0.050% to 0.200%weight/volume potassium, about 0.000% to 0.050% weight/volume sodium anda carbohydrate content less than about 6% weight/volume, wherein theelectrolyte composition is prepared from at least one of the groupconsisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice, sweet sorghum juice,palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice; and optionally
 3. using astep of evaporation or reverse osmosis filtration to prepare aconcentrate of the electrolyte composition of step
 2. 26. A method formaking a drink product from a substantially liquid extract of a plantusing membrane filtration technology, wherein the drink productsimulates plant sap and the substantially liquid extract is selectedfrom at least one of the group consisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beetjuice, sweet sorghum juice, palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice,said method comprising the steps of:
 1. clarifying the substantiallyliquid extract of the plant;
 2. using membranes selected to have poresizes suitable to remove some of, but preferably all or most of, thesugar and organic acids of the substantially liquid extract but leavingmost of the monovalent ions including potassium in the substantiallyliquid extract such that said substantially liquid extract comprisesabout 0.050% to 0.200% weight/volume potassium, about 0.000% to 0.050%weight/volume sodium and a carbohydrate content less than about 6%weight/volume; and
 3. optionally, concentrating the substantially liquidextract by reverse osmosis membranes and/or evaporation to make asubstantially liquid extract concentrate.
 27. A consumable plantjuice-derived drink product that simulates plant sap in its mineral,sugar and antioxidant content, wherein said product comprises about0.050% to 0.200% weight/volume potassium, about 0.000% to 0.050%weight/volume sodium and a carbohydrate content less than about 6%weight/volume, wherein the product is prepared from at least one of thegroup consisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice, sweet sorghumjuice, palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice.
 28. A consumableplant-based electrolyte composition prepared from a substantially liquidextract of a plant by membrane separation technology, said consumableplant-based electrolyte composition comprising: a plant-derivedelectrolyte content comprising about 0.050% to 0.200% weight/volumepotassium and about 0.000% to 0.050% weight/volume sodium; and aplant-derived carbohydrate concentration less than about 6%weight/volume, and preferably 0-2% weight/volume plant-derivedcarbohydrate, wherein the electrolyte composition is prepared from atleast one of the group consisting of sugarcane juice, sugar beet juice,sweet sorghum juice, palm syrup, vegetable juice and fruit juice,wherein the plant-based electrolyte composition comprises greater thanabout 80% weight/volume potassium of an original potassium concentrationof the substantially liquid extract of the plant, but more preferablygreater than about 95% weight/volume of the original potassiumconcentration of the substantially liquid extract of the plant.